Writing platen



y 1966 R. w. HUGHES ETAL 3,253,258

WRITING PLATEN Filed Sept. 14, 1964 2 Shets-Sheet 1 I NVENTORS ROBERT W.HUGHES BY ARTHUR FAIRCHILD W pm,/;mwm

A 'I 'TOR NE Y5 y 24, 1966 R. w. HUGHES ETAL 3,253,258

WRI TING PLATEN Filed Sept. 14.. 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS ROBERTW HUGHES ARTHUR FAIRCHILD BY M ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,253,258WRITING PLATEN Robert W. Hughes, Mountain Lakes, and Arthur L.Fairchild, Wayne, N.J., assignors to Data Trends, Inc., Parsippany, NJ.,a corporation of New Jersey Filed Sept. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 396,161 15Claims. (Cl. 340-1465) This invention relates to apparatus forgenerating electrical signals in response to hand written alpha numericcharacters and other special symbols and more par-.

ticularly to a writing platen for use with apparatus of this type onwhich platen the alpha numeric characters and symbols are to be handwritten.

A platen of the type with which the present invention is concerned isshown in the US. Letters Patent to Dimond, 3,108,254, October 22, 1963.

Among the problems involved in the generation of electrically codedsignals in response to the describing of an alpha numeric character on awriting surface, is that of the user writing the character in the wrongarea of the writing surface or at least in writing the character of sucha size that one or more portions extend beyond the intended limits ofthe writing area. Another problem is that of generating a signal at theend of the writing of each character in order that the apparatus intowhich the signals are being transmitted may know that a new. characteris about to be written.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide awriting platen which combines certain electrical and psychologicalfeatures, the effect of which is to ensure that the user writes acharacter on the platen within a predetermined area.

A further object of the present invention .is to provide in a writingplaten an end-of-character electrode, so positioned that the writer oncehaving written the desired character need only continue the lastmovement of the stylus in describing the character to any edge of thewrit ing area in order to contact a segment which signals theend-of-character to the using apparatus.

Other objects of the present invention will be apparent to those skilledin the art from consideration of the following detailed descriptiontaken in conjunction with the attached sheet of drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a writing platen in accordance with thepresent invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of a masking device for use in conjunction withthe platen of FIGURE 1.

In general, the objects of the present invention are achieved by addingto platens of the known double dot character recognition system, apsychological borderline surrounding the double dots and by furtherproviding an end-of-character electrode border which in turn surround-sthe psychological border.

Referring now to the drawings, the platen of the pres ent inventionincludes an insulating base member having a pair of spaced and raisedvisual indicia 12 and 14 for example, in the form of colored beads orthe like. As is conventional with apparatus of this type, the signalgenerating conductive segments are seven in number. A first segment 16extends between the visual indicia 12 and 14 and the remaining segmentsradiate outwardly from the two indicia toward the edge portions of theinsulating base. Beginning at the top of the platen, these segments areidentified by reference numerals 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28.

The end-of-character electrode 30 comprises a substantially rectangularconductive strip having gaps 32, 34, 36, 38, 40 and 42 through which theconductive segments mentioned above may extend. It is desirable in somecases to terminate the segments 18, 20, 22, 24 and 26 adjacent the inneredge of the border 30.

3,253,258 Patented May 24, 1966 Positioned between the visual indiciabeads 12 and 14 and the end-of-character border, is what is termed apsychological border identified by the reference numeral 46. This issimply a colored rectangular indicia which together with the two beads12 and 14 defines the area within which alpha numeric characters shouldbe written if properly coded electrical signals are to be generatedwhich can be positively identified as corresponding to a particularcharacter which has been written on the platen. It is important that thesix segments extend across the border 46 even though they terminateshort of the border 30. Since the writing on the platen is done with anelectrically conductive stylus, and since erroneous results would stemfrom shorting with the stylus any of the conductive segments to theend-of-character border, a mask such as that shown in FIGURE 2 andgenerally indicated by the reference numeral 52 may be employed whichsurrounds the outer periphery of the end-of-character border. Such maskmay include inwardly projecting tab portions 54, 56, 58, 6t), 62 and 64,which mask the portions of the end-of-character border through which theconductive segments pass. It has been found that some operators tend tohit the projecting tab portions with the writing stylus and accordinglyit may be desirable to eliminate these portions as the number of errorscaused by sho'rting segments to the end-of-character border may berelatively small.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the platen instead ofbeing flat could be given a dished or bowl shape as a further aid tokeeping the stylus within the desired writing area. In addition, eitherthe psychological border or the end-of-character border or both could beraised above the surface of the platen, e.g., by 4, inch to preventaccidental touching of the end-ofcharacter border and these variationscould be employed with either a flat or dished platen.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art thatthere is herein disclosed a new and useful writing platen for use inconjunction with apparatus whereever there is the requirement forgeneration of or recognition of coded electrical signals correspondingto hand written alpha numeric characters or other special symbols.

We claim:

1. A writ-ing platen for the describing thereon with an electricallyconductive stylus, of alpha numeric characters and other specialsymbols, in order to generate electrical signals to be transmitted to anidentification means, said platen comprising:

(1) an insulating base;

(2) a pair of spaced visual indicia substantially centrally located onsaid base and with respect to'which the alpha numeric characters andspecial symbols are to be described;

(3) a first conductive segment on said base extending between saidindicia;

(4) a plurality of conductive segments spaced from each other on saidbase and radiating outwardly from points closely adjacent said indicia;

(5) and an end-of-character border area of conductive-material on saidbase surrounding said writing area.

2. A writing platen as defined by claim 1 in which said pair of indiciaextend upwardly out of the plane of said base.

3. A writing platen as defined by claim 1 in which said base is dishshaped.

4. A writing platen as defined by claim 1 in which said end-of-characterborder is raised above the plane of said base.

5. A writing platen as defined by claim 3 in which said end-of-characterborder is raised above the plane of said base.

6. A writing platen for the describing thereon with an electricallyconductive styles, of alpha numeric characters and other specialsymbols, in order to generate electrical signals to be transmitted to anidentification means, said platen comprising:

(1) an insulating base;

(2) a pair of spaced visual indicia substantially centrally located onsaid base and with respect to which the alpha numeric characters andspecial symbols are to be described;

(3) a first conductive segment on said base extending between saidindicia;

(4) a plurality of conductive segments on said base spaced from eachother and radiating outwardly from points closely adjacent said indicia;

(5) visual indicia means on said base surrounding and spaced outwardlyfrom said pair of indicia and defining therewith the particular writingarea on said base within which the alpha numeric character and specialsymbols are to be described;

(6) and an end-of-character border area of conductive material on saidbase spaced outwardly from and surrounding said writing area.

7. A writing platen as defined by claim 6 in which said visual indiciameans is raised above the plane of said base.

8. A writing platen as defined by claim 6 in which said end-of-characterborder is raised above the plane of said base.

9. A writing platen as defined by claim 6 in which base is dish shaped.

10. A writing platen as defined by claim 7 in which said base is dishshaped.

11. A writing platen as defined by claim 8 in which said base is dishshaped.

12. The combination defined by claim 3 in which said end-of-characterborder area includes a plurality of gaps through which said plurality ofconductive segments extend.

13. A platen as defined by claim 3 and further including insulatingmasking means surrounding said end-ofcharacter border area and includingportions overlying only said gaps in said conductive border area.

14. A platen as defined by claim 3 in which said plurality of conductivesegments are six in number, two being aligned with said first conductivesegment, one on either end thereof, and the remaining four positionedparallel to each other and at right angles to said first conductivesegment, two on each side thereof.

15. A writing platen for the describing thereon with an electricallyconductive stylus, of alpha numeric characters and other special symbolsin order to generate electrical signals to be transmitted to anidentification means, said platen comprising:

(1) an insulating base;

(2) a pair of spaced visual indicia substantially centrally located onand extending out of the plane of said base and with respect to whichthe alpha numeric characters and special symbols are to be described;

(3) a first conductive segment on said base extending between said pairof indicia;

(4) six conductive segments on said base, spaced from each other,radiating outwardly from points closely adjacent said pair of indicia,two of said segments being aligned with said first conductive segment,one on either end thereof, and the remaining four positioned parallel toeach other and at right angles to said first conductive segment, two oneach side thereof;

(5) further visual indicia on said base surrounding and spaced outwardlyfrom said pair of indicia and defining therewith the particular writingarea on said base within which the alpha numeric characters "and specialsymbols are to be described;

(6) and an end-of character border area of conductive material on saidbase spaced outwardly from and surrounding said writing area and havinggaps therein through which gaps said plurality of conductive segmentsextend.

No references cited.

DARYL W. COOK, Primary Examiner.

MALCOLM A. MORRISON, Examiner.

J. E. SMITH, Assistant Examiner.

1. A WRITING PLATEN FOR THE DESCRIBING THEREON WITH AN ELECTRICALLYCONDUCTIVE STYLUS, OF ALPHA NUMERIC CHARACTERS AND OTHER SPECIALSYMBOLS, IN ORDER TO GENERATE ELECTRICAL SIGNALS TO BE TRANSMITTED TO ANIDENTIFICATION MEANS, SAID PLATEN COMPRISING: (1) AN INSULATING BASE;(2) A PAIR OF SPACED VISUAL INDICIA SUBSTANTIALLY CENTRALLY LOCATED ONSAID BASE AND WITH RESPECT TO WHICH THE ALPHA NUMERIC CHARACTERS ANDSPECIAL SYMBOLS ARE TO BE DESCRIBED; (3) A FIRST CONDUCTIVE SEGMENT ONSAID BASE EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID INDICIA; (4) A PLURALITY OF CONDUCTIVESEGMENTS SPACED FROM EACH OTHER ON SAID BASE AND RADIATING OUTWARDLYFROM POINTS CLOSELY ADJACENT SAID INDICIA; (5) AND AN END-OF-CHARACTERBORDER AREA OF CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL ON SAID BASE SURROUNDING SAID WRITINGAREA.